Buncombe County Government, NC / Solid Waste Management

In this episode of Buncombe Life, join Kathy Hughes as she joins Landfill Bioreactor Manager Kristy Smith on a tour of the facility. If you thought you knew about recycling in Buncombe County, think again! Buncombe County Solid Waste Department uses green practices in not only accepting and disposing of trash, but also in all of the different forms of recycling available. Best part, it's in our own back yard! So stay tuned a take a tour of our great landfill, and learn why we're lucky to be living in a community like Buncombe County.

Now that the holiday season is over, it's time to think about what to do with your Christmas tree. If you live in the city of Asheville, you can use the curbside pickup during the regular brush pick up times. However if you live in Buncombe County, the Landfill is a great resource to recycle your tree for free! Simply remove all decorations and tinsel and drop it off at the mulch pile.

Speaking of which, if you want to purchase mulch at the landfill, they will have a fresh supply in January from all the tree recycling. It's only $10 for a scoop that fits the bed of a large pickup truck. Or you can scoop it in your truck for free! The only requirements are that you're a Buncombe County resident, and that you have a tarp to cover the mulch for transportation.

For more information about Christmas Tree Recycling, please call the Buncombe County Solid Waste Department at 828.250.5462, or visit buncombecounty.org/solidwaste

Normally when you think of the Landfill, you probably think of just a place where trash is buried. However, the Buncombe County Solid Waste Department has many programs through the landfill that not only dispose of trash and improve our methods of recycling, but they even generate electricity with the gas created through its trash decomposition. So follow along with Landfill employees to learn all about these revolutionary processes, in a Day in the Life of the Solid Waste Department.

For more information about the Solid Waste Department, the landfill, Electronic Waste Recycling Day, the Gas-to-Energy Project, and more, visit buncombecounty.org/solidwaste.

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For more information about Buncombe County Government, visit http://www.buncombecounty.org/.

Asheville Greenworks, in cooperation with the Buncombe County Solid Waste Department and many local sponsors featured in the video came together for Tire Amnesty Day on Saturday, October 13. Set up at the Asheville Mall, Tire Amnesty Day is a way for all the citizens in Buncombe County to come out and get rid of their tires safely, and legally, at no charge. So if you have tires that are sitting around your barn or on your property and want a safe, easy way to dispose of them, check out this video, and keep tuned in to find out when the next event will take place.

WNC Regional Air Quality Agency (WNCRAQA) and the Buncombe County Solid Waste Department hosted a FREE gas can exchange program at the Buncombe County Landfill at 85 Panther Branch Road in Alexander. The exchange coincided with the weekly Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Friday August 10th from 9am to 3pm, while supplies last. Citizens brought their old EMPTY gas cans (that are not equipped with new spill and vent-proof features) to the event and exchanged each one for a new, environmentally friendly, Briggs and Stratton gas can. The new cans were available in 2-gallon and 5-gallon sizes, and there was a limit of 5 new cans per person. This purpose of this project is to reduce air pollution emissions. The WNC Regional Air Quality Agency has entered into an agreement with a corporate donor to receive and exchange the lower emitting gas cans for the benefit of the citizens in our area.

Ribbon cutting ceremony for the Landfill Gas-to-Energy Generator project that took place on Friday, April 27th at the Buncombe County Landfill.

The Landfill Gas to Energy project uses methane gas produced as trash decomposes to generate electricity. A series of methane wells and a huge generator were installed in 2011. Production began earlier this year but is only now reaching full capacity. The generator is expected to produce 1.4 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power 1,100 homes per year.

Agenda:
~Welcome - Jon Creighton
~Commissioner Chairman David Gantt
~Commissioner Holly Jones
~Commissioner Bill Stanley
~Commissioner Carol Peterson
~Randy Flack, Field Representative, Heath Shuler
~Chris Gable, CDM
~Jeff Lovin, French Broad Electric

In this Buncombe Weekly Spotlight we join Kristy Smith, the Landfill Bioreactor Manager, to tell you about the new papers and plastics accepted for recycling. If you have plastic products at home and don't know if you can recycle them or not, just look on the bottom, if it has the recycle symbol and the number 1 - 7 on it, you can!

For more information on what, where, and when you can recycle, just visit buncombecounty.org/solidwaste.